How to develop a bedtime routine
How does a bedtime routine help you get to sleep better? Remember Pavlov’s dogs, who started to associate the ring of a bell with food? By getting into a routine before bed, you will start to associate certain actions with bedtime, sending your brain and body a cue that says“it’s time to slow down.”
When you go to bed when your mind and body is still in work mode, you will likely have a hard time falling asleep. To avoid this, you can employ a bedtime routine to successfully switch from work mode to relaxation mode. Here I will guide you through the steps towards developing a bedtime routine:
Decide on a bedtime
First, decide on a bedtime and calculate when you will start tuning yourself into sleep mode. If I am to go to bed at midnight, you want to set aside 2 hours, so I start getting ready for bed around 10pm. Ideally you want to set aside at least 1hr 30 min- 2 hours before bedtime, but for those who are really busy or get home late, setting some time aside is better than not doing it. So how much time is enough? 30min is certainly way too short, so I would say the bare minimum would be 45 min to 1hr.
Make sure you’re not too full, but not too hungry
You don’t want to get into bed and realise you’re really, really hungry. You also don’t want to feel sick and bloated from overeating- in Japan, there is a useful saying that tells you to eat just 80% out of your full capacity of your stomach. It works!!
Switching off -computers, TV and bright lights
First, by switching off your computer, you switch off from work and play mode. Doing so an hour before sleep will give you enough time to wind down and get your body and mind ready for bed. Second, Your computer’s screen emit blue light, which is the type of light that you don’t want to be staring at before bed.
When you receive bright and/or blue light, the receptors in your eyes sends signals to your brain that it is time to wake up and stay awake, not time for bed. Switching off your lights and creating darkness will emulate what happens in nature at night, which is what our bodies were designed to work with.
Taking a bath to help you sleep
You can help your body to get into sleep mode by taking a bath 90 min before bed time. A bath’s relaxation effect and a drop in body temprature that results after taking a bath will help you sleep better. Just don’t take a bath right before bed, as you may be too hot to sleep immediately after a bath. Read more about “Geting the most out of your bath time” here.
Calming music
As part of your bedtime routine, you can set the mood for sleep by putting on some calming music. Personally I like to listen to Norah Jones – but whatever you choose, make it something calm, soothing and positive.
Essential oils
When you’ve been working so hard during the day, it can be hard to calm down- you can use aromatherapy to help you relax. Essential oils of Lavender, Camomile, Sweet Marjoram are some of the herbs often used to help one get to sleep.
If you want something that’s already have been blended, I recommend Remedies To Roll : Night Time or Relaxation by Neal’s Yard. They come in a slim roll-on bottle that you can easily carry easily in a pocket or purse, so it’s perfect on a business trip, when a lot of people find it hard to fall sleep in unfamiliar environments.
Reading in bed- yes or a no?
Reading before bed can be a good part of your bedtime routine- as long as it’s not the kind of book that will keep you up all night. I’m certainly guilty of staying up until a little later than usual because I got carried away……so I try to avoid reading books that will keep me up before bedtime, or promise myself I will put down the book when bedtime comes.
Let us know what your bedtime routine is! Do you keep a journal? What kind of music do you listen to before bed?
